short-eared owl

Short-eared owl

Maine is home to several kinds of owls. Some of them are
the barred owl, the great horned owl and, in winter, the
snowy owl. Other kinds of owls are seen less frequently in
Maine, and among these is the short-eared owl.
The short-eared owl may be the rarest breeding owl in
Maine. The only known nesting site was reported in 1996.
While most owls are nocturnal (meaning they are active
at night), the short-eared owl is diurnal (active during the
day and the night). It operates mostly at dusk and at
night.
Short-eared owls hunt differently from many other birds.
They circle their prey and then hover so they can study
their target before they strike.
They hunt generally in meadows, marshes and prairies.
They eat mostly small rodents, and occasionally other
birds. Their main prey are meadow voles.
When a short-eared owls feel threatened and their
camouflage fails them, they sometimes play dead.
Short-eared owls are found worldwide except in Australia
and Antarctica. Their population is declining all over the
world, and in Maine, the short-eared owl is being
considered, along with 13 other animals, for the state's list
of endangered and threatened species.
- By Jack Wilde and Dana Wilde